This invention relates to a support apparatus for external mounting on a well casing or other cylindrical member of circular cross-section and, more particularly, to a packing support for mounting on a well casing to support a packing which seals the annulus between the casing and the wellhead or the bore wall of an outer casing.
To secure structures such as packing assemblies to the exterior of a casing or tubing, it is sometimes desirable or necessary to provide a support therefor which can be secured to the casing without piercing the casing wall or welding thereto and without any attachment to an external support such as, for example, a wellhead or an outer casing. This latter feature is particularly important with packing assemblies which are used for sealing between a casing and a wellhead such as a geothermal wellhead wherein the casing will characteristically move longitudinally within the wellhead in response to thermal conditions and temperature changes associated therewith. It is also essential when used as a packing support that the packing support assembly grip the casing very securely and be immovable thereon since such packings are usually subjected to very great compressive forces.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a support device which can be securely mounted on the smooth exterior wall of a well casing or the like without connection to any other member and which is particularly suited for supporting a packing or other apparatus in an annulus cavity such as between a casing and a wellhead.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a packing support assembly which can be securely mounted on the external wall of a casing or tubing without the need for welding or piercing the casing wall and without connection to any other member, such as a surrounding wellhead bore or outer casing.
A further object of the invention is to provide a packing support which can be securely mounted on the external wall of a casing, or the like, and is provided with a plurality of adjustable gripping means including a gripping means which may be actuated by wedge means and the gripping force of which is selectively adjustable.